Michael Beasley opted to play in China this season, and he killed it over there. It’s his second stint in the Chinese Basketball Association, and playing for the Shandong Golden Stars, the 27-year-old averaged 31.9 points, 13.2 boards, 3.8 dimes and 1.3 blocks per game—enough to win him the Foreign MVP Award. The Domestic MVP was given to fellow former NBAer Yi Jianlian, whose team (Guangdong Southern Tigers) swept Beasley’s in the CBA playoffs.

Michael Beasley, the former No. 2 overall NBA draft pick notched a ridiculous triple-double in the 2016 CBA All-Star Game. B-Easy is now 27 and in his second stint in the Chinese League, after playing a handful of games with the Miami Heat to end the 2014-15 season. Watch the video above, in which Beasley—a star for the Shandong Golden Stars this season—posts 63 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists in the Chinese ASG. Clearly, no one’s playing much defense. But still, those are some crazy numbers. Big ups, Beaz!

Stephon Marbury is 38 years old, and he just won his third CBA title in four years—plus was named Finals MVP. The Beijing Ducks won the Chinese league once again (this time taking the Finals in six games) despite Marbury being on the receiving end of a highlight reel dunk earlier in the series.

Starbury continues to be the coolest thing in Chinese basketball, and the six-time CBA All-Star is showing no signs on slowing down.

The Chinese Basketball Association Finals are going on right now, and superstar Stephon Marbury is leading his squad, the Beijing Ducks against the Liaoning Flying Leopards. Apparently the Flying Leopards have the best lineup in the league, including 7-1 Han DeJun—aka the Chinese Shaq. In Game 4 of the CBA Finals, DeJun pounded a vicious dunk over Marbury, which you can see above, plus Starbury got whistled for the foul.

Unfortunately for the Leopards, Steph went on to score 36 points and lead the Ducks back from down 13 points in the fourth quarter for the win. The series is now tied at 2-2, thanks to this game-winning layup from Marbury:

Former Knicks star Stephon Marbury will be featured on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on Tuesday and word has already gotten out that among the topics of discussions will be the Coney Island native’s recollection of his last days in the NBA and the depression and suicidal thoughts that came along with it. Today, though, Starbury is enjoying a very successful career in the Chinese Basketball Association, which includes having won two championships, a statue dedicated to him outside of the Beijing Ducks’ arena in 2012, and most recently having even starred in a musical play about his own life.

More from our friends at HBO Sports:

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, TV’s most honored sports journalism series, returns with an all-new season of enterprising features and reporting when the show’s 214th edition debuts on TUESDAY, JAN. 20 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Reinventing His Game. In 2009, after prolonged turmoil with the New York Knicks, Stephon Marbury turned down a one-year contract offer from the Boston Celtics and walked away from the NBA. Already dealing with deep depression over the loss of his father in 2007 and the failure of his Starbury brand of affordable basketball sneakers, the 13-year veteran struggled to cope away from the hardwood.

But in 2010, Marbury returned to the game he loved with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons and had an impressive season, averaging 23 points and nine assists. Now, after five seasons in the CBA, Marbury, 37, is one of the league’s biggest stars. Since 2011, he has been a member of the Beijing Ducks, leading them to the playoffs each year, and capturing championships in 2012 and 2014, something the Coney Island native never experienced in the NBA. More recently, his Starbury brand has been reenergized by his success in China. REAL SPORTS correspondent Carl Quintanilla heads to Beijing, where Marbury tells him he has no plans to come back to the U.S.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/stephon-marbury-featured-hbo-real-sports-tuesday-video/feed/0SLAMonlineStephon Marbury Stars in Musical Play About his Life in China (VIDEO)http://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephon-marbury-stars-musical-play-life-china-video/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephon-marbury-stars-musical-play-life-china-video/#respondThu, 20 Nov 2014 22:16:04 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=340855

Stephon Marbury is just winning on so many levels right now. You have to give it to him. He’s been able to revive his career quite well in China after his notorious

Stephon Marbury is just winning on so many levels right now. You have to give it to him. He’s been able to revive his career quite well in China after his notorious fallout with the New York Knicks in 2008.

He’s won two Chinese Basketball Association championships, an All-Star MVP hardware and even had a statue dedicated to him outside of the Beijing Ducks’ arena back in 2012 after leading them to the CBA title.

Now? He’s starring in a musical play about his own awesome life. Like, seriously.

Check out the end of the video above to see Starbury put some dance moves together on stage. Yeah, he’s winning.

Andray Blatche has signed a one-year deal to play with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China, his agency announced today. Blatche will join Jordan Crawford, who signed with the Flying Tigers earlier this week.

Official: @drayblatche has signed a 1 year deal with the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers have decided to leave Lester Hudson free to sign with Liaoning Hunters, but the team has already finalized one-year mega deal with former Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Crawford.

“I Was Marbury” is the tale of the former Knicks and Nets guard and the 2011-12 Beijing Ducks, the team he led to a championship (we were hoping the play would be called “The Shoot-First Point Guard”).

According to SI.com, “The play’s director, Zhou Wenhong, told Chinese media that the main theme of the play will be ‘never give up’ and will incorporate choreographed basketball moves with dance. Marbury, however, describes the play’s story in grander terms, saying in a press conference the play focuses on ‘Sino-US relations.'”

There’s more: Marbury will only appear occasionally and guests like former NBA players Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi will show up on stage.

World Peace, who is known in China as “Ci Shiping”, a literal translation of “Metta World Peace,” now plans to name himself after China’s giant panda, a precious animal based in Southwest China’s Sichuan province, where his new team is also based.

“New Chinese name coming soon. You guys are going to love it! ” He posted on his Chinese twitter-like social media Sina Weibo.

According to Sina.com, Mullens has officially reached a deal with the Shanxi Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association. He will join NBA veteran Von Wafer and Jordanian guard Zaid Abbas as the third foreigner on the squad.

His draft rights were acquired by the Oaklahoma City Thunder from the Dallas Mavericks when they picked him up 24th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft.

In 2012, Mullens started 41 games for the Charlotte Bobcats averaging 10 points and six rebounds. Since then, Mullens has played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers where he would find himself deep in the teams’ rotations.

Emmanuel Mudiay has agreed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract with Guangdong of the China Basketball Association, the richest overseas contract ever for a high school player, a source told Yahoo Sports.

Mudiay, 19, had been faced with eligibility issues for his freshman season at Southern Methodist University under Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown and made the decision to play in China before becoming eligible for the 2015 NBA draft.

Mudiay, a 6-foot-5 guard, is considered a lottery pick in the Class of 2015. With the Chinese season ending in March, Mudiay’s plan will be to return to the United States and use the remaining few months to prepare for the 2015 draft in June, a source said. Mudiay has also taken out insurance policies to protect him in China against injury that could impact his future earnings, a source said.

Behind big performances from Stephon Marbury and Randolph Morris, the Beijing Ducks clinched the CBA Championship this past weekend, defeating the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in six games. Check out highlights from the final game and the subsequent celebration above.

According to Sebastian Telfair’s agent, Andy Miller, the veteran point guard is joining his cousin Stephon Marbury in China. Telfair inked a one-year deal with Tianjin of the Chinese Basketball Association. Per Yahoo! Sports: “Telfair, 28, has played for seven NBA teams since making the leap out of high school as the 13th pick in the 2004 NBA draft. Telfair will have the chance to run Tianjin’s offense and position himself for a return to the NBA in late February once the Chinese basketball season ends. ‘We wanted to make a move from a position of control, and allow Sebastian the chance to run a team this season before coming back [to the NBA],’ Miller said. Telfair will join another former first-round NBA pick, Shelden Williams, with Tianjin. Telfair was considered one of the best available unsigned players in the NBA’s free-agent class this summer, and should have several opportunities for backup point guard jobs available to him upon his return from China in early 2014. Through his nine NBA seasons, Telfair has averaged 7.4 points and 3.5 assists. He played parts of the 2012-13 season with Phoenix and Toronto.”

According to various reports, the Knicks have their eyes on free agent guard Beno Udrih and Euroleague point guard Bobby Brown. Per the NY Post: “Brown signed a tentative agreement Wednesday to play for Donguam of the Chinese Basketball Association, but can break the deal before that date, according to a league source. The league source said Brown’s top choice is to play for the Knicks and take less money than his roughly $1 million-plus Chinese pact. Brown is squarely on the Knicks board but they are first hoping veteran point guard Beno Udrih, who made $7 million last season, will come to New York for the $1.4 million veteran’s minimum. The Knicks have been outbid on players all summer, so it could leave Brown as the Knicks’ likelier signing. Still, the Knicks would be extremely lucky if they can land Udrih — a 6-foot- 3 point guard from Slovenia who averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 assists in 22.1 minutes per game for Milwaukee and Orlando. The Knicks, who are only able to offer minimum contracts, also are interested in Mo Williams but it is more likely he signs with Miami if it comes down to a minimum deal. An NBA source said the Knicks no longer have embattled Delonte West on their wish list despite prior inquiries. After re-signing Pablo Prigioni, the Knicks have been in a summer-long search for a third point guard to replace Jason Kidd, who abruptly retired to coach the Nets. San Antonio and Memphis are also interested in Brown, 28, who has played 113 NBA games for Minnesota, Sacramento, the Clippers and New Orleans.”

The New York Knicks, LA Clippers and Yao Ming’s Shanghai Sharks are all in play for World Peace’s services next season.

Per ESPN, Yahoo! Sports and the LA Times:

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Sunday he welcomed a potential addition of World Peace. “I know his name has been surfacing out there,” Woodson said in Las Vegas, where New York has a summer league team competing. “I can coach any player. I coached guys from 18-, 19-, 20-year-old young men, and built a team in Atlanta, and that’s tough for a first-time coach. So I experienced that, and I don’t think there’s a player I can’t coach if he’s willing to be coached. … If anybody comes to this team, they’ve got to understand it’s all about team, man. It’s not about individuals here, it’s not about me as a coach. It’s about the New York franchise trying to win an NBA title. If you understand that, then we’ve got a chance. I like his skill sets a lot. I think a lot of teams have liked his skill sets over the years. He does a little bit of everything.” […] “I want to do something unique and fun,” World Peace said. “…China has over a billion people. It’s fun. I want to be adventurous. I’ve been thinking about it.”

“Of course I’m interested in Clippers,” World Peace texted on Sunday. “I have to meet them first.” The Clippers also are interested in speaking with World Peace, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Four NBA teams have reportedly inquired about the 33-year-old forward, and the Knicks are believed to be the favorites to land him (even though, a couple of days ago, MWP said he’s moved past his boyhood dream of playing in New York).

Metta World Peace is on the down slope of his remarkable, 14-year NBA career. He averaged 12.4 points, five rebounds and 1.6 steals in 75 games for the Lakers last season. He’s now looking — all over the world — for an adventure and to have fun with whatever basketball may be left in him.

Asked how much he can contribute to the Spurs, who recently released Stephen Jackson, McGrady was humble. “I guess that’s the unknown,” he said. “Whatever happens, I’m just glad to be a part of this environment,” McGrady said via text. “[It’s] something I never experienced while being my best!”

“This is unbelievable,” said McGrady. “It’s a championship organization, something I haven’t really been part of my entire career. I’m very excited. I’m humbled for the opportunity. I’m not sure when I’ll play or if I’ll play. That’s not the place for me (to complain). I just know when my number is called, I’ll be ready.” […] “I feel good, I feel real good,” he said. “It took a few years after my surgery to get back to feeling healthy. It was more getting past the mental block. I’m not as quick as I used to be. I’ve slowed down. Just glad to be here.”

The San Antonio Spurs are dealing with injuries to some key players with the postseason just around the corner, and they know that inking Tracy McGrady now is a low-risk move.

T-Mac last played in the NBA during the 2011-12 season, posting averages of 5.3 points in 16.1 minutes per game for the Atlanta Hawks. He did a lot better in the Chinese Basketball Association this year — the former All-Star put up 25 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 29 games for the Qingdao Eagles.

After the summer lockout and a handful of players heading to China for a job, it looks like the first of the pros to play in the Chinese league is headed back to the NBA. Mike James of The Los Angeles Times is reporting that ex-Nuggets power forward Kenyon Martin has agreed to terms on a contract with the L.A. Clippers, bolstering a frontcourt that’s been starving for depth since the season’s start: “The Clippers and free-agent forward Kenyon Martin have agreed on a mini-midlevel deal that will be finalized as soon as Martin passes a physical, according to an NBA individual familiar with the negotiations. Martin, who played for the Xinjiang Tigers in China and had been required to wait until their season was over before rejoining the NBA, was cleared to return to the NBA by FIBA, the international basketball federation, Thursday…Martin has a home in Los Angeles and is a friend of Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, a teammate with the Nuggets. Other teams that had been interested in Martin were the Lakers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.”

Yi Jianlian is headed back home to China for the remainder of this NBA lockout. Reports the WaPo: Until the NBA and its players’ union can come to a resolution on a new collective bargaining agreement, Yi Jianlian is returning to the place where his professional basketball career started. Jarinn Akana, one of Yi’s representatives, confirmed that his client has signed a contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association which will have an NBA out for whenever the labor dispute is settled. ‘Although he may not stay with us very long, I am quite sure his return is good for himself, the team and Chinese fans as well,’ Guangdong Hongyuan’s team manager Liu Hongjiang told the Chinese news agency, Xinhua. ‘He could keep his edge in CBA, our team will also benefit from his skills and fans certainly want to see him play at his best years.’ The CBA was allowed to sign only free agent NBA players, and Yi is an unrestricted free agent after the Wizards declined to extend his $5.4 million qualifying offer for next season. Wilson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin have all signed to play in China since the league decided to lock out its players on July 1, but the CBA does not allow foreign players to leave until the conclusion of the season.”

Kenyon Martin is being pursued by the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, who are reportedly willing to give him the largest contract in the Chinese Basketball Association’s history, at more than $3 million. Per ESPN: “The Denver Post reported Friday that Nuggets free-agent forward Kenyon Martin, like Nuggets swingmen Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith, is talking seriously with teams in China in case the apparent progress that suddenly materialized in labor talks this week turns out to be a mirage. Sources told ESPN.com on Friday night that the team Martin has engaged with most seriously is Xinjiang Guanghui … or the Flying Tigers of Xinjiang. Xinjiang is also among the teams in China that have entered into serious talks with Philadelphia 76ers restricted free agent Thaddeus Young.”

Six years ago, all 30 NBA teams passed on the Houston Rockets’ Chuck Hayes. This time around, Hayes is in demand as an unrestricted free agent once the lockout is resolved. But it’s not resolved and that demand begins in China.

“China would be the ideal place as Hayes popularity there is unbelievable,” said Hayes’ agent Calvin Andrews of BDA Sports Management. “We have a great relationship with teams over there and Chuck would be a fan favorite.”

Hayes can thank Yao Ming for the extra exposure. Anyone who has played significant time alongside Yao has reaped the benefits of receiving an extended fan base in China.

China offered Hayes a lucrative deal early in the summer according to Andrews. The offer was bad timing and Hayes’ camp turned it down. They won’t be as inclined to do so again if a new CBA is not reached in due time.

“If nothing is figured out by the end of October, then I’ll look at China again or somewhere else,” Hayes said.

Wilson Chandler of the Denver Nuggets, recently signed to play for the Chinese Basketball Association and teammate JR Smith is reportedly considering joining him. The Chinese Basketball Association has ruled that they are not allowing NBA out-clauses in case the NBA resumes its season, but that doesn’t seem to be discouraging players.

Undrafted out of Kentucky, Hayes made a name for himself as a rebounding defensive bruiser. Standing 6-6 as an undersized power forward, Hayes utilizes his upper body strength and his compact frame to hold his own against taller opponents.

“I just like to compete,” Hayes said. “I take it as a personal challenge when a player tries to post me up. I challenge myself mentally and physically and my will keeps me from failing.”

Now that teams know what he’s capable of, his lack of size seems to be a non-issue. There are several NBA franchises expecting to open up their checkbooks in hopes of luring him from the only NBA team he’s ever played for.

“If a team wants to win, pick up Hayes,” Andrews said. “He does all the intangible things that don’t appear on the stat sheet. Every team needs a player of his caliber.”

Many believe Houston has a leg up when it comes to retaining Hayes, and the reason: They’re the only team that gave him a real opportunity to prove he could play at this level.

“I would love to stay in Houston, “Hayes said. “They gave me my first shot and I’m forever grateful for that. The fans and the community have embraced me and that’s why I would like to stay in Houston.”

In the meantime, Hayes is now picking up the pace on his workout regime, as he took some time off this summer to recuperate from the rigors of last season.

He was scheduled to participate in the “Lockout League” held in Las Vegas starting next week, but has decided to tend to other matters.

“I was going to play but I changed my mind. I need to spend some time with the family,” Hayes said. “It’s a good thing that they’re doing, though. It should be a successful event.”

Hayes just turned 28 and his next deal figures to be the long-awaited reward for the path that he has taken to become the player he is today. He’s never averaged double digits in points nor rebounds, but his impact speaks louder than numbers and that is why he’ll continue to irritate big men for years to come.

As expected, the CBA has elected not to allow NBA ballers to temporarily play in China during the lockout. From Niubball (via Sina Sports): “For the last two months, a long list of out-of-work NBA players have been looking across the Pacific Ocean towards China as a possible lockout destination. And after two months of silence, the Chinese Basketball Association finally sent back a message to all of those players. Look somewhere else. According to Sina Sports, the CBA has passed two rules that will kill any chance of an NBA superstar from playing in China this season. First, any player with an active NBA contract will not be allowed to sign with a CBA team. Second, players who do sign with a CBA team will not be able to include an opt-out clause that would allow them to go back to the NBA whenever the lockout ends. Though the league’s decision on opt-out clauses was expected, the rule barring players currently under contract comes as more of a surprise. Sources speaking to NiuBBall said that the rule had gained momentum in the last couple of weeks due to an increasing belief from the CBA that teams were not going to be fazed by the league’s ruling on out-clauses, and that they were going to to find other ways bring superstars to China.”

The former NBA All-Star couldn’t physically cut in the Chinese Basketball Association, and so continues his sad saga. The AP has the latest: “Three-time NBA All-Star Steve Francis is leaving his Chinese team after playing in just four games over two weeks. Chinese media say the out-of-shape 33-year-old played just 14 minutes for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks. To the consternation of his coach, Francis left the stadium midway through the Ducks’ 104-89 victory over the Jiangsu Dragons on Sunday. Francis had reportedly signed with the Ducks for $800,000 for the 32-game 2010-11 season, a portion of which he will receive as a settlement. ‘I feel unhappy that I couldn’t play the game. I know I was not well-prepared physically to help the team on court. As the team is in hot form, I think it is best for both sides for me to terminate my contract,’ Francis was quoted as telling Beijing Television on Monday afternoon. A number of former NBA stars, including former All-Star Stephon Marbury, signed with Chinese teams this season following the lifting of a $60,000 monthly salary cap. Ducks coach Min Lulei said he’s been willing to provide a personal trainer for Francis, but the player merely asked for more game minutes.”

Steve Francis is now the latest former NBA player to “take his talents” overseas. The Franchise joins a long list of former NBA players to bolt to China. Some notable names include Rafer Alston, Ricky Davis, Quincy Douby, Fred Jones, Josh Boone, and Javaris Crittenton. For more information, check out NiuBBall.com: “According to CCTV5′s NBA analyst and Sina Sports writer, Yu Jia, Steve Francis is all set to join Marbury in the Chinese Basketball Association this December. Yu reported ‘Beijing and [Steve] Francis is basically a done deal’ via his Sina Microblog (China’s equivalent to Twitter) earlier today. Sina Sports has a full writeup, reporting that Francis and Beijing have a preliminary two-year deal agreement in place. The contract is to be worth $2 million annually. Beijing’s GM, Yuan Chao, has been quoted as saying that the deal is not official as of yet.”

The AP is reporting that Marbury was a fan favorite last year in China, behaving like a model citizen. Makes you wonder if his time in New York would’ve ended better without Isiah Thomas: “Former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury has agreed to three more years with a Chinese basketball team, whose owners will set up a company to produce and sell his line of athletic apparel and shoes, the team said Thursday. Marbury played 15 games last season with Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association. The point guard was a fan favorite in the rustbelt city of Taiyuan, showing none of the defiant personality that had alienated management, teammates and fans in the U.S.”

Steph will likely return to the Chinese league after reportedly turning down an opportunity to join the Heat. From the Daily News: “‘(The Heat) wanted a point guard,’ Marbury told the People’s Daily of China, adding that he was contacted by Miami through the NBA Player’s Association. ‘But I don’t think a point guard would do much in the team as they’ve already had the three guys.'”

Reportedly unhappy with the Shanxi cold weather, Steph has left his team after only a month and a half. Roughly translated (Sina via Hoops Market): “Although the team has confirmed that in Shanxi missed the playoffs, but still praised Marbury is said to be willing to Zachu Shanxi Team 2 million U.S. dollars to retain ‘Baixinho.’ Match against Shanghai, despite the team leader before the race in Shanxi said, ‘do not adapt to the south of the weather, a little cold … …,’ but this has not affected the Marbury play, 34 points 8 rebounds and 8 assists, only 23 voted The hit rate of some 9 unsatisfactory.”